🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan07.182300.7993@eng.umd.edu> clin@eng.umd.edu (Charles Lin) writes:

>   I read a moderately recently issue of US News and World Reports which
>discussed the issue of "magnet" schools.   Magnet schools, for those of
>you who don't know it, are schools that admit highly qualified students on
>the basis of examination or other similar means.   For example, New York
>City has several schools like this (Stuyvesant, Bronx School of Science,
>Brooklyn Tech, Hunter College, etc.).   I think the idea is that in a city
>as large as New York, and with so many schools, it is difficult to maintain
>a high quality education throughout since not all students are highly
>motivated.   

>    Therefore exams are given, and anyone getting some score is admitted
>into these schools (which are free).   The distribution of various ethnic
>groups is pretty good, and so some minorities like this system because
>it gives a chance for qualified minorities to get the kind of education
>they want.   The downside is that it may foster a bit of elitism where
>top students are getting more of the resources than the rest of the
>city.

>    My personal opinion is that, if it is not really possible to maintain
>high education throughout a city or town, either due to the lack of
>high quality students or teachers,  then magnet schools are a good idea.
>They make sure that those who are both willing and able are not hampered
>by the location that they live in and made to go to a school where they
>are not educationally challenged.   It also offers a way to emphasize education
>as something to strive for.

It is impossible to maintain the quality of education which the bright
need and provide it for the average and below average as well.  The 
problems of the American system have been brought on by the movement
which got into power around 60 years ago to teach all children the
same.  The differences between children are even greater than the
IQ differences would indicate.  Any system which tries to teach all
children the same is automatically bad.  And the differences between
children are great enough that teaching them all in the same manner,
but at different rates,  which is more or less as it was until the
divergence into college preparatory and terminal programs, is also
not correct.  The problems are not entirely of motivation, but also
of ability, and even the development or damage done by the previous
education.

But having children travel to schools for special work should be
reduced; it is too costly, especially in time.  In this electronic
age, we can provide specialized classes without physical movement.
This can be done on an individual course basis, as well.  

-- 
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
Phone: (317)494-6054
hrubin@snap.stat.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet)  
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